Container manufacturing method and container manufacturing apparatus

ABSTRACT

A method of manufacturing a container includes: a container preparing step of placing a filling space of the pouch inside a receiving space of an outer container; and a pouch expanding step of supplying air to the filling space of the pouch and expanding the pouch toward the receiving space.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present disclosure relates to a manufacturing method and amanufacturing apparatus of a container which receives liquid, and moreparticularly, to a container that stores and discharges liquid andallows full consumption of the content without any remaining liquid.

BACKGROUND ART

FIG. 1A is a view illustrating a device for storing liquid content withhigh viscosity according to the related art.

Liquid such as shampoo and lotion are characterized by relatively highviscosity. When contained in a container 10, the content 20 with highviscosity tends to stick to internal walls of the container due to highviscosity of the content. Nevertheless, these products are generallysold in rigid containers 10 having openings smaller in diameter than thestorage space, as illustrated in FIG. 1A, for esthetic reasons,convenience of usage, etc. That is, most of them are sold as they arecontained in rigid containers having a shape illustrated in FIG. 1Abecause of consumer sensitivity, convenience of use, etc. As such, amethod of discharging the content generally involves attaching a pump toa discharging portion 30. Sucking and discharging the content through adischarging tube 31 are done by a pumping operation using air pressurefor convenience of use. When a sufficient amount of content 20 is in astorage space of the container 10, the content can be discharged throughthe discharging tube 31 with no trouble. However, when the contentremaining in the container 10 is a small amount, the residual contentsticks to the internal walls of the container, and does not easily falloff therefrom. Thus, it is difficult to discharge the residual content,and this is a great obstacle to completely consume the content such asshampoo and lotion.

FIG. 1B is a view illustrating a typical container, which is designed toconsume the stored liquid content with high viscosity, having a smallamount of content inside.

As illustrated in FIG. 1B, when the amount of the residual content 21 issmall, the residual content 21 tends to adhere to the internal walls ofthe container 10 and is not easily separated from the container 10. Inaddition, the region where the discharging tube 31 attached to the pumpcan suck is limited. Thus, it becomes hard to effectively discharge theresidual content 21 out of the container. When a large amount of thecontent is stuck to the internal walls of the container, it is notproperly discharged, which causes the following serious problems.

Firstly, the unconsumed content which is out of reach still remains inthe rigid container, and the content cannot be consumed completely anddiscarded, thereby causing unnecessary waste of resources.

Secondly, a discarded container may still contain lotion, shampoo, ordetergent, which may cause environmental pollution.

Thirdly, when a discharger such as a pump is disassembled from thecontainer to open a discharging port in order to completely consume theresidual content in the container, the content can be contaminated dueto foreign substances, etc. introduced from outside.

Fourthly, it is difficult to precisely discharge a wanted amount ofcontent when a user disassembles the discharger from the container andattempts to discharge the content by turning over and shaking thecontainer.

Meanwhile, in order to solve the above problems, an airless containerhas been suggested. In such configuration, the bottom of the containeris designed to elevate upward and reduce the volume of the containeraccording to consumption of the content. The elevation operation ofpulling up the bottom of the container is performed by reduction of thepressure applied by the content onto the bottom. Thus, such structure isnot applicable to a large-capacity container. Moreover, such structureis applicable only to a cylinder-shaped container. Thus, a freedom ofdesign for the container is limited, and the production cost of thecontainer increases.

Therefore, there is a need for a rigid container which appeals tocustomers' esthetic sense and are convenient to use. Also there is aneed for a method capable of manufacturing it at an inexpensive cost,and effectively injecting and discharging content with high viscosity.

DISCLOSURE Technical Problem

The inventor of the present disclosure has recognized that: when a smallamount of liquid content remains in a container, the liquid contenttends to stick to an internal walls of the container due to highviscosity and a surface tension of the liquid content; and thus it isdifficult to discharge the residual content by using a pump, etc. Theinventor also recognized that: a rigid container is more appealing toconsumers; and a rigid container needs to have a pump, etc. attached toa discharging portion for a convenience of use, etc.

Therefore, the inventor of the present disclosure has devised acontainer and a device in which a pouch with elasticity (an elasticpouch) is inserted to a rigid container. The rigid container stores theliquid content in the elastic pouch. The new and innovative methodallows the content stored therein to be conveniently and completelyconsumed even when a rigid container is used.

In order to easily discharge a residual amount of content in the elasticpouch in a rigid container thus described, filling the content into theelastic pouch should be conducted during a manufacturing process of theproduct.

FIGS. 2A and 2B are views illustrating a procedure of filling liquid,such as shampoo, lotion, etc., into a rigid container in a typicalmanufacturing process.

As illustrated in FIG. 2A, in a procedure of filling liquid such asshampoo or lotion in the rigid container, the rigid containers arearranged in a line on a conveying apparatus 50 and conveyed to contentfilling equipment 51. The content filling equipment can have one or morenozzles 60 depending on its design.

As illustrated in FIG. 2B, when rigid containers are disposed below oneor multiple nozzles, the nozzle moves downwardly above an opening of arigid container to fill the content 61 therein through the nozzle. Here,the time necessary for moving the nozzle downward and the time necessaryfor filling liquid in the container are directly related to productionefficiency. Therefore, generally, the nozzle vertically moves only by aminimum distance in a given design. In another embodiment, the nozzledoes not move and sprays the content at a fixed position. The nozzle andthe opening of the rigid container are spaced apart from each otherduring a filling operation to improve the production efficiency, etc.

Meanwhile, the inventor of the present disclosure has also recognized aproblem that: when the content is filled into the elastic pouch throughthe method described herein, an injection pressure of the contentapplied through the opening of the rigid container is not strong enoughto overcome elasticity of the elastic pouch; and unless the injection ofthe content is performed by contacting the nozzle with the rigidcontainer, it is not possible to inflate the elastic pouch up to thevolume of the rigid container.

Therefore, in a cost efficiency aspect, there is a need to develop amethod of manufacturing a container, which can inject the content intothe elastic pouch using a typical content filling equipment withoutmodification.

Therefore, an object of the present disclosure is to provide a device, acontainer, and a method of manufacturing the same, which allows fullusage of the content without remainder even when the liquid with highviscosity is stored in the rigid container through the container devicewhich is capable of storing and discharging the liquid according to thepresent disclosure.

Another object of the present disclosure is to provide a device, acontainer, and a method of manufacturing the same, in which: an elasticpouch is inserted into the rigid container; a residual content can bedischarged using the pressure applied by the elastic pouch onto thecontent toward the opening; the pressure is caused by (i) a reductioneffect of the surface area upon contraction of the elastic pouch, (ii)the elasticity (the restoring force) of the elastic pouch, and (iii) adischarging pressure of a discharging device; the elastic pouch can bedeformed into various shapes in accordance with a rigid container shapewhen the elastic pouch is inflated by the elasticity of the elasticpouch; and thereby the rigid container can be designed in variousshapes.

Still another object of the present disclosure is to provide a device, acontainer, and a method of manufacturing the same, in which the contentcan be injected using a typical content filling method of the elasticpouch. In a typical method, the content cannot be injected to fill upthe volume of the rigid container due to elasticity of the elastic pouchsince the elastic pouch is not fully expanded when the content isinjected by the filling nozzle through an opening of the rigidcontainer. According to the present disclosure, an elastic pouch can befully filled even using a typical content method.

The objects of the present disclosure are not limited to theabove-mentioned objects, and other objects, which are not describedhere, can be clearly understood by those skilled in the art from thefollowing description.

Technical Solution

According to an aspect of an embodiment, a method of manufacturing acontainer is provided. The container comprises: an outer container and apouch, wherein the pouch is made of an elastic material, coupled to theouter container, and having a filling space therein. The methodcomprises: a container preparing step of placing the filling space ofthe pouch inside a receiving space of the outer container; and a pouchexpanding step of supplying air to the filling space of the pouch andexpanding the pouch toward the receiving space of the outer container.

The pouch expanding step may comprise: a pouch stretching step ofelastically deforming the pouch towards an end portion of the outercontainer while the pouch is placed in the receiving space of the outercontainer, wherein the end portion of the outer container is locatedopposite to an opening of the outer container; and a pouch pressurizingstep of injecting air into the pouch, which is elastically deformed inthe pouch stretching step, and expanding the filling space of the pouch.

The pouch stretching step may comprise: inserting an airpressurizing/depressurizing unit into the filling space of the pouch;and moving the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit from the opening ofthe container to the end portion of the container to elastically deformthe pouch.

The pouch expanding step may further comprise: a pouch depressurizingstep of depressurizing the filling space of the elastically deformedpouch to a first reference depressurizing pressure using the airpressurizing/depressurizing unit, wherein the first referencedepressurizing pressure is equal to or less than the atmosphericpressure; and an outer container depressurizing step of depressurizingthe receiving space of the container to a second referencedepressurizing pressure through a through-hole formed on the container,wherein the second reference depressurizing pressure is equal to or lessthan the atmospheric pressure.

The pouch pressurizing step may comprise: when a pressure of thereceiving space of the outer container is equal to or less than thesecond reference depressurizing pressure, supplying air to the fillingspace of the pouch at a pressure equal to or greater than theatmospheric pressure and expanding the filling space of the pouch.

In the outer container depressurizing step, the receiving space of theouter container may communicate with the outside of the receiving spaceonly through the through-hole.

In the pouch pressurizing step, a portion closer to the opening and aportion farther from the opening may be expanded simultaneously.

In the pouch expanding step, air may be supplied to the filling space ofthe pouch and the filling space may expand into the receiving space, airin the receiving space may be discharged to the outside of the outercontainer through a through-hole. The through-hole may be formed on theouter container. The container manufacturing method may furthercomprise: a pouch-expanded-state-maintaining step of blocking thethrough-hole of the outer container keeping the filling space in anexpanded state. In the pouch-expanded-state-maintaining step, aninternal pressure of the filling space of the pouch may be smaller thana restoring force of the pouch, and a force applied onto an innersurface of the pouch by the internal pressure of the filling space ofthe pouch and a force applied onto an outer surface of the pouch by apressure of the receiving space between the pouch and the outercontainer may be in equilibrium with the restoring force of the pouch.

The aforementioned method may further comprise: a liquid filling step offilling liquid-state content into the filling space of the pouch in anexpanded state. The liquid-state content may be filled into the fillingspace of the pouch in the atmospheric pressure state without applying anadditional pressure to the liquid-state content.

The container preparing step may comprise: afirst-external-container-gripping step of gripping an end portion of theouter container opposite to an opening of the outer container; and asecond-external-container-gripping step of gripping the opening of theouter container.

The pouch expanding step may comprise: a pouch stretching step ofelastically deforming the pouch towards an end portion of the outercontainer opposite to an opening of the outer container while the pouchis place inside the receiving space of the outer container; and a pouchpressurizing step of injecting a liquid content into the pouch, which iselastically deformed in the pouch stretching step, and expanding thefilling space of the pouch.

According to another aspect of an embodiment, a manufacturing apparatusof a container, wherein the container comprises an outer container and apouch, wherein the pouch is made of an elastic material, is coupled tothe outer container, and having a filling space formed therein, isprovided. The apparatus comprises: an air pressurizing/depressurizingunit movable into and out of the filling space of the pouch; and airholes formed at an outer surface of the air pressurizing/depressurizingunit and injecting or exhausting air into or from the filling space. Theair pressurizing/depressurizing unit is movable from an opening of thepouch toward an end portion of the pouch in a sliding manner.

The air pressurizing/depressurizing unit may comprise: a unit body whichis slidingly movable; and a head portion provided on the unit body. Theair holes may be formed in the head portion, and an end portion of thehead portion may be rounded.

The air holes may be formed on a side surface of the head portion or theend portion of the head portion.

The outer container may be provided with an opening. A locking portionof the pouch may be coupled with the opening of the outer container. Theopening of the outer container may communicate with a receiving space ofthe outer container. The container manufacturing apparatus may furthercomprise a first gripping unit which pressurizes the end of the outercontainer to allow the outer container gripped.

The container manufacturing apparatus may further comprise a stage unit.The locking portion of the pouch, which is coupled to the opening of theouter container, may be seated on the stage unit. The airpressurizing/depressurizing unit may be installed on the stage unit. Thestage unit may move downward by a predetermined distance when the firstgripping unit pressurizes the end of the outer container.

The container manufacturing apparatus may further comprise a secondgripping unit. The second gripping unit may grip an end of the outercontainer in a direction perpendicular to a direction in which the firstgripping unit grips the outer container.

A through-hole may be formed on the end of the outer container andcommunicates with the receiving space. The first gripping unit maycomprise: a first gripping unit body; a suction passage formed on thefirst gripping unit body and communicating with the through-hole; and anelastic gripping portion contacting the end of the outer container whilethe through-hole of the outer container is in contact with the suctionpassage.

According to another aspect of an embodiment, a container manufacturedby the aforementioned container manufacturing method is provided. Thecontainer comprises a coupling unit. The coupling unit is fitted into anopening of the pouch when the outer container and the pouch are coupledto each other. The coupling unit includes a through space. The throughspace connects the filling space of the pouch to an outside. Thecoupling unit pressurizes a part of the pouch to internal walls of anopening of the outer container.

Advantageous Effects

The present disclosure is intended to solve the above problems, and thecontainer device according to the present disclosure provides a device,a container, and a method of manufacturing the same, in which liquidcontent with high viscosity is contained, and thereby all content can beconsumed without leaving residue.

In the device, the container, and the method of manufacturing the sameaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure, an elastic pouchcan be inserted into the rigid container and can effectively dischargethe last drop of residual content by using (i) the pressure applied whenthe elastic pouch pushes the content toward an opening, (ii) thereduction effect of the surface area according to the contraction of theelastic pouch, (iii) elasticity (the restoring force) of the elasticpouch, and (iv) the discharging pressure of the discharging device. Theelastic pouch can be inflated by the elasticity of the elastic pouch anddeformed into various shapes in accordance with the rigid container.Thus, the rigid container can be designed in various shapes.

In the container, and the method of manufacturing the same according toan embodiment of the present disclosure, the content can be injectedinto the container also by using a typical content filling methodemploying an elastic pouch. In the typical method, the content cannot beinjected in the container to fill up the volume of a given rigidcontainer due to elasticity of the elastic pouch unless the elasticpouch is expanded before a filling nozzle is positioned above an openingof the rigid container to spray or flow the content into the container.In contrast, in the present invention, the content can fill up thevolume of a given rigid container even using the typical method.

DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A is a view illustrating a device for storing liquid content withhigh viscosity according to a typical art.

FIG. 1B is a view illustrating a typical container, which is designed toconsume the stored liquid content with high viscosity, having a smallamount of content inside.

FIG. 2A is a view illustrating a process of filling liquid, such asshampoo, lotion, etc., into a rigid container in a typical manufacturingprocess.

FIG. 2B is another view illustrating a process of filling liquid,shampoo, lotion, etc., into a rigid container in the typicalmanufacturing process.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a container manufacturing apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure.

FIGS. 4 to 7 are views illustrating a method of filling liquid into acontainer by using the container manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 3.

FIG. 8 is a view illustrating a container filled using the containermanufacturing method of FIGS. 4 to 7.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the container manufacturing method ofFIGS. 4 to 7.

FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating expanding a pouch in a containermanufacturing method of FIG. 9.

BEST MODE

The advantages and features of the present disclosure and the method forachieving them will become apparent with reference to the embodiments,which will be described in detail below together with the accompanyingdrawings. However, the present disclosure is not limited to theembodiments disclosed below, but can be implemented in many differentforms, and the embodiments are merely provided to fully convey the scopeof the disclosure to those skilled in the art to which the presentdisclosure pertains, and the present disclosure is only defined by thescope of the claims.

Although the terms such as first, second, etc. are used to describevarious components, these components are not limited by these terms.These terms are used only to distinguish one component from another.Therefore, the first component described below can also be the secondcomponent within the technical spirit of the present disclosure.

Throughout the specification, same reference numerals refer to same orsimilar components.

The respective features of various embodiments of the present disclosurecan be coupled or combined with each other partially or entirely.Respective embodiments can be implemented either independently ortogether with each other.

Meanwhile, the potential effects that can be expected by the technicalfeatures of the present disclosure. The technical features, which arenot specifically described in the specification of the presentdisclosure, are regarded as described in the present specification. Thepresent embodiment is provided to help those skilled in the artunderstand the present disclosure. The contents illustrated in thedrawings can be exaggerated compared to the actual dimension for thepurpose of explanation. Description on some configurations is omittedfor better brevity and clarity.

In the present specification, the ‘liquid’ refers to a wide range ofliquid state rather than a solid or gaseous state. That is, it means allstates that have a short intermolecular distance and low kinetic energybut are not bonded with each other as strong as solid-phase molecules,and is used as the meaning that includes all liquids ranging from theliquid having a low viscosity such as water to the liquid with a highviscosity such as gels.

In the present specification, a pouch is a flexible pouch and can haveeither a fixed shape or a non-fixed shape. The pouch has elasticitywhich creates a restoring force for returning to its original shape whenits shape is stretched or inflated by an external force. A pouch, as asimple flexible pouch, changes in shape by an external force because itis not fixed in shape.

In the present specification, a container means all kinds of containersmade of rigid materials such as plastic, glass, and metal, and also isreferred to as ‘rigid container’.

In the present specification, a coupling unit means a structure which iscoupled with an opening of the pouch and also coupled with a containercoupling portion of the container (the injection port of the container),thereby coupling the pouch and the container so that the pouch can befixed in the container. The coupling unit can further include a fixingportion or an air blocking portion so that a space between the containerand the pouch can be completely sealed from the outside. The couplingunit can be integrally manufactured with the pouch through insertinjection, etc. in the process of manufacturing the pouch.

Hereinafter, embodiments of the present disclosure will be described indetail with reference to the accompanying drawings so that those skilledin the art to which the present disclosure pertains can easily practice.The present disclosure can be implemented in many different forms, butis not limited to the embodiments described herein. In order to clearlydescribe the present disclosure, in the drawings, parts not related tothe description are omitted, and the same or similar components aredenoted by the same reference numerals throughout the specification. Inaddition, since the size and the thickness of the respective componentsillustrated in the drawings have been arbitrarily illustrated forconvenience of explanation, the present disclosure is not necessarilylimited to those illustrated in the drawings.

FIG. 3 is a view illustrating a container manufacturing apparatusaccording to an embodiment of the present disclosure. FIGS. 4 to 7 areviews illustrating a method of filling liquid into a container by usingthe container manufacturing apparatus of FIG. 3. Also, FIG. 8 is a viewillustrating the container which is filled by the containermanufacturing method of FIGS. 4 to 7.

Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, a container manufacturing apparatus 1according to an embodiment of the present disclosure is an apparatus formanufacturing a container 2. The container 2 includes a pouch 220 madeof an elastic material and is capable of suppressing the filled-incontent to be left over in the course of consuming it.

The container 2 manufactured by the container manufacturing apparatus 1according to the present embodiment can include, for example, an outercontainer 210, a pouch 220, and a coupling unit 230. The outer container210 is made of a rigid material such as glass or plastic. The pouch 220is made of an elastic material coupled to the outer container 210 andhas a filling space 226 formed therein. The coupling unit 230 is capableof firmly coupling the pouch 220 to the outer container 210 and securinga passage to the filling space 226 of the pouch 220.

In a typical art, a conventional filling equipment simply flows liquidcontent, such as cosmetics or detergents, into the container 1 withoutapplying such a great additional pressure to the liquid content. In suchcase, the pouch 220 is not sufficiently expanded out to a receivingspace 216 of the outer container 210 under the condition that the pouch220 is coupled to the outer container 210 of the container 2.

That is, when the typical filling equipment is used, the weight of theliquid content filled in the filling space 226 of the pouch 220, whichis initially laid in a contracted state, is smaller than the elasticforce of the pouch 220. Accordingly, the pouch 220 remains in thecontracted state. As a result, a desired amount of liquid content is notfilled in the pouch 220.

Therefore, in a container manufacturing apparatus 1 according to anembodiment of the present disclosure, the pouch 220 expands up to apredetermined size under the condition that the outer container 210 iscoupled to the pouch 220. A sufficient filling space 226 is secured, andthe pouch 220 is maintained in the expanded state. Thus, theconventional problem caused using the typical filling equipment can besolved.

The container manufacturing apparatus 1 according to an embodiment ofthe present disclosure may include a table T, a stage unit 110, an airpressurizing/depressurizing unit 120, a first gripping unit 130, asecond gripping unit 140, and a third gripping unit 150.

More specifically, the table T is supported by a bottom surface (notillustrated). The stage unit 110, the air pressurizing/depressurizingunit 120, the first gripping unit 130, the second gripping unit 140, andthe third gripping unit 150 can be installed on the table T.

The stage unit 110 is installed on the table T and is vertically movableby a predetermined distance. A stage unit body 111 is vertically andslidably connected to the table T. A container installation portion 112is provided on the stage unit body 111. A part of the container 1 isfitted in the container installation portion 112.

For example, the container installation portion 112 can be formed in acylindrical shape. A coupling unit 230 of the container 200, a lockingportion 224 of the pouch 220, and a neck portion 214 of the outercontainer 210 can be seated in an installation hole (not illustrated)formed at the center of the container installation portion 112. When thecontainer 2 is seated on the container installation portion 112, anopening 215 formed at the neck portion 214 of the outer container 210 isclosed by the pouch 220. The coupling unit 230 pressurizes on a part ofthe pouch 220 toward an inner surface side of the opening 215 so thatthe opening 215 of the outer container 210 can be firmly sealed.

The air pressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 is positioned in theinstallation hole of the container installation portion 112, and slidesvertically with respect to the container installation portion 112. Theair pressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 is inserted into the fillingspace 226 of the pouch 220, and has air holes 124 formed at the outersurface thereof. The internal air of the filling space 226 flows in andout through the air holes 124.

More specifically, the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 includesa unit body 121 which is slidable with respect to the stage unit 110,and a head portion 122 formed at one side of the unit body 121 andhaving the air holes 124 formed therein. The end portion 123 of the headportion 122 is rounded so that damages to the pouch 220 can besuppressed and the pouch 220 can be uniformly expanded when the headportion 122 pressurizes the end portion 222 of the pouch 220 and thepouch 220 is expanded and deformed.

Although it has been described in the present embodiment that multipleair holes 124 are formed in the head portion 122, it is also possible toform a single air hole 124.

When multiple air holes 124 of the head portion 122 are provided, theair holes 124 can be linearly positioned at the side surface of the headportion 122. However, this is merely illustrative, and in anotherembodiment, the air holes 124 can be positioned in a spiral shape orpositioned in an irregular pattern at the side surface of the headportion 122. In yet another embodiment, the air holes 124 are positionedat the end portion 123 side of the head portion 122. In further anotherembodiment, the air holes 124 are positioned both at the end portion ofthe head portion 122 and at the side surface thereof.

The air holes 124 of the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 areconnected to a pump unit (not illustrated) of the containermanufacturing apparatus 1. Air can be discharged through the air holes124 or provided through the air holes 124 using the pump unit.

In addition, a unit body 121 of the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit120 can move vertically upon receiving a driving force from a drivingunit (not illustrated). The driving unit can be a rack and pinion or alinear motor for converting RPM into a linear direction, but the drivingunit is not limited thereto.

Meanwhile, a first gripping unit 130 and a third gripping unit 150 aremovably installed on a vertical frame 180. The vertical frame 180vertically extends from the table T. A pair of second gripping units 140is installed on the table T and moves in a direction perpendicular tothe direction in which the vertical frame 180 extends. That is, the pairof second gripping units 140 moves along a direction parallel to asurface of the table T.

When a locking portion 224 of the pouch 220 and a coupling unit 230 areinstalled at one side of the outer container 210, that is, the neckportion 214, and the opening 215 of the outer container 210 is installedtoward the stage unit 110, the first gripping unit 130 contacts a secondside 212 of the outer container 210 and pressurizes the outer container210 toward the stage unit 110 so that the outer container 210 isgripped.

When the first gripping unit 130 is lifted upward from the verticalframe 180 and then moves down to the outer container 210 to press/gripthe outer container 210, the first gripping unit 130 comes in contactwith the second side 212 of the outer container 210 and a pressure isapplied to the outer container 210. The first side 213 of the outercontainer 210 moves downward by a predetermined distance onto the stageunit 110. Thus, the container 2 is prevented from being damaged due to apressure suddenly applied.

Meanwhile, a through-hole 217 is formed on the second side of the outercontainer 210 and communicates with the receiving space 216 of the outercontainer 210. The first gripping unit 130 includes a first grippingunit body 131, a suction passage 133, and an elastic gripping portion134. The first gripping unit body 131 is connected vertically with thevertical frame 180 in a sliding manner. The suction passage 133 isformed at the first gripping unit body 131 and communicates with thethrough-hole 217 of the outer container 210. The elastic grippingportion 134 contacts the second side 212 of the outer container 210 whenthe through-hole 217 of the outer container 210 contacts the suctionpassage 133.

At this time, the suction passage 133 is connected to a pumping unit(not illustrated) of the container manufacturing apparatus 1. When thethrough-hole 217 communicates with the suction passage 133, a negativepressure is provided from the pumping unit, thereby discharging the airof the receiving space 216 to the outside through the through-hole 217.

Then, when the elastic gripping portion 134 made of an elastic materialsuch as rubber or silicone contacts the second side 212 of the outercontainer 210, the outer container 210 is prevented from being damagedby the contact momentarily occurred between the outer container 210 andthe first gripping unit 130.

A pair of second gripping units 140 is provided. The two second grippingunits 140 are spaced apart from each other with the stage unit 110therebetween. Each second gripping unit 140 includes a gripping unitbody 141, a gripping portion 142, and a moving portion 143. The grippingportion 142 is positioned at a first end of the gripping unit body 141and surrounding the neck portion 214 of the outer container 210. Themoving portion 143 is connected to a second end of the gripping unitbody 141 and capable of moving the gripping unit body 141 in ahorizontal direction, that is, the direction that approaches the stageunit 110 or is away therefrom.

The pair of the second gripping units 140 grips the neck portion 214 ofthe outer container 210 when the container 2 is installed on the stageunit 110. Thus, the container 2 is suppressed from being shakenhorizontally. In another embodiment of the present disclosure, the pairof the second gripping units 140 can be designed so that one unit isfixed and only the other unit is driven.

The third gripping unit 150 is positioned on the vertical frame 180, andis interposed between the first gripping unit 130 and the table T. Thethird gripping unit 150 can surround an outer circumference of the outercontainer 210, thereby suppressing the container 2 from being shakenwhen the container 2 is installed on the stage unit 110.

In the present embodiment, the opening 215 of the outer container 210and an opening 225 of the pouch 220 are directed downward. However, inanother embodiment, the opening 215 of the outer container 210 and theopening 225 of the pouch 220 may be directed upward. In this case, thestage unit 110 can include a suction passage that contacts thethrough-hole 217 of the outer container 210, and the airpressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 can be installed at the firstgripping unit 130.

Meanwhile, in the present embodiment, the outer container 210, the pouch220, and the coupling unit 230 are manually positioned in the containermanufacturing apparatus 1. However, in another embodiment, the secondgripping unit 140 and/or the third gripping unit 150 may be omitted ifthe outer container 210, the pouch 220, and the coupling unit 230 areautomatically positioned in the container manufacturing apparatus 1 by aconveyor belt, a robot, etc.

Hereinafter, a container 2 manufacturing method according to anembodiment of the present disclosure will be described in detail.

First, the container 2 is seated on the stage unit 110 of themanufacturing apparatus 1. The container 2 includes the outer container210, the pouch 220, and the coupling unit 230. The pouch 220 is coupledto the outer container 210 so that the filling space 226 is positionedin the receiving space 216 of the outer container 210. The coupling unit230 is fitted into the opening 225 of the pouch 220 when the outercontainer 210 is coupled to the pouch 220. A through space 235 forcommunicating the filling space 226 of the pouch 220 with the outside isformed in the coupling unit 230.

The neck portion 214 is positioned at one side 213 of the outercontainer 210. The opening 215 of the outer container side thatcommunicates with the receiving space 216 is formed in the neck portion214. In an embodiment, the neck portion 214 is formed smaller indiameter than an outer container body 211.

The pouch 220 is made of an elastic material and has the filling space226. The pouch 220 includes the pouch body 221 and the locking portion224. The opening 225 is formed at a first side 223 of the pouch body221. The locking portion 224 is in a plate shape, formed at the firstside of the pouch body 221, and formed lager than an outer diameter ofthe pouch body 221.

The coupling unit 230 includes a coupling unit body 231 fitted into theopening 225 of the pouch 220, and a coupling unit side locking portion232 formed at one side of the coupling unit body 231. The coupling unitbody 231 is formed larger in an outer diameter than the coupling unitbody 231. The through space 235 for communicating with the filling space226 of the pouch 220 is formed in the center of the coupling unit body231.

When the pouch 220 is coupled to the outer container 210, the couplingunit 230 is installed at the opening 225 of the pouch 220 andpressurizes on a part of the pouch 220 toward the outer container sideopening 215 of the outer container 210 so that the outer container 210and the pouch 220 are firmly coupled, thereby suppressing the air fromflowing into or out the space between the outer container side opening215 of the outer container 210 and the pouch 220. In addition, thecoupling unit 230 is made of a material harder than the pouch 220, forexample, a plastic material such as PP, PE, ABS, or nylon or a metalmaterial such as SUS. Therefore, when the filling of the liquid contentinto the container 2 has been completed, and a pumping means (notillustrated) for discharging the liquid content to the outside isinstalled at the opening 225 of the pouch 220, the coupling unit 230 isnot deformed in shape by an external force and firmly keeps the shape ofthe opening 225 of the pouch 220, thereby suppressing the opening 225 ofthe pouch 220 from rolling-in by insertion of the pumping means.

In the present embodiment, the coupling unit 230 is coupled to theopening 225 of the pouch 220. However, in another embodiment, thecoupling unit 230 may be omitted. In such structure, a support member,which is made of a material harder than a material of the pouch 220, ispositioned in the locking portion 224 of the pouch 220.

The container 2 is seated on the stage unit 110 of the manufacturingapparatus 1 as follows. First, the outer container 210, the pouch 220,and the coupling unit 230 of the container 2 are coupled to each other.The air pressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 passes through the throughspace 235 of the coupling unit 230. The container 2 is seated on thestage unit 110 so that the head portion 122 of the airpressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 is positioned in the filling space226 of the pouch 220.

In the above-mentioned embodiment, the container 2 includes the couplingunit 230 coupled to the pouch 220. However, in another embodiment, thecoupling unit 230 may be omitted. In such case, a part (the lockingportion 224) of the pouch 220 can be made of a rigid material, or arigid support member can be provided in the locking portion 224 of thepouch 220.

While the container 2 is seated on the stage unit 110, the secondgripping unit 140 can surround the outer circumferential surface of theouter container 210 so that the outer container 210 is gripped.

Next, referring to FIG. 5, when the container 2 is seated on the stageunit 110, the first gripping unit 130 moves to the stage unit 110 tocontact the other side 212 of the outer container 210. At this time, thethrough-hole 217 formed in the other side 212 of the outer container 210communicates with the suction passage 133 of the first gripping unit130.

Then, the second gripping units 140 move in a horizontal direction togrip the neck portion 214 of the outer container 210.

Then, referring to FIG. 6, when the container 2 is gripped by thegripping units 130, 140, 150, the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit120 slidingly moves toward the first gripping unit 130, that is, in theopposite direction of the opening 215 of the outer container 210 heads.Thus, the pouch 220 is elastically deformed.

Then, the filling space 226 of the pouch 220 is stretched upward by apredetermined size. The air pressurizing/depressurizing unit 120depressurizes the filling space 226 of the elastically deformed pouch220 to a first reference depressurizing pressure P_(NR1), which is equalto or smaller than atmospheric pressure. When the filling space 226 isdepressurized down to the first reference depressurizing pressureP_(NR1), a part of an inner surface of the pouch 220 is attached andfixed to the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit 120.

Next, referring to FIG. 7, when the filling space 226 is depressurizedto the first reference depressurizing pressure P_(NR1), the receivingspace 216 of the outer container 210 is depressurized to the atmosphericpressure or less through the air passage 133 of the first gripping unit130. At this time, a part of the inner surface of the pouch 220 can beattached and fixed to the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit 120.Thus, the pouch 220 is prevented from being elastically deformed to anunintended shape when the receiving space 216 is depressurized. That is,a part of the pouch 220 is prevented from being sucked into thethrough-hole 217 of the outer container 210 and deformed.

In the present embodiment, the filling space 226 is depressurized first,and then the receiving space 216 is depressurized. However, in anotherembodiment, the two depressurization processes can be performedsimultaneously.

This time, the first reference depressurizing pressure P_(NR1) can beequal to or smaller than a second reference depressurizing pressureP_(NR2). The receiving space 216 of the outer container 210 cancommunicate with the outside of the receiving space 216 only through thethrough-hole 217.

Then, when the internal pressure of the receiving space 216 is reducedto the second reference depressurizing pressure P_(NR2) or less, the airpressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 provides a reference pressurizingpressure P_(PR), which is equal to the atmospheric pressure or isgreater than the atmospheric pressure, to the filling space 226. Whenthe pressure of the receiving space 216 is at the second referencedepressurizing pressure P_(NR2), which is smaller than the atmosphericpressure, and the reference pressurizing pressure P_(PR), which isgreater than the atmospheric pressure, is applied to the filling space226, the pouch body 221 of the pouch 220 instantly expands in thereceiving space 216 of the outer container 210.

At this time, the filling space 226 of the pouch 220 expands uniformly.Put it another way, the pouch 220 expands to a portion of the fillingspace 226 which is distant from the opening 215 of the outer container210 (that is, a portion adjacent to the other side 212 of the outercontainer 210) and to a portion of the filling space 226, which is closeto the opening 215 (that is, a portion adjacent to one side 213 of theouter container 210) simultaneously.

The air holes 124 of the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 areprovided on the end portion 222 in an eccentric manner. Thus, if the airpressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 provides the reference pressurizingpressure P_(PR) to the filling space 226 without the depressurizationprocedure for the receiving space 216 of the outer container 210, theend portion 222 of the pouch 220, in which the air holes 124 aredisposed, would be first inflated. This would make the pouch 220unevenly inflated. If the pouch 220 is unevenly inflated, the portion ofthe pouch body 221 inflated earlier may contact the internal wall of theouter container 210, and thus block the passage through which the air inthe receiving space 216 of the outer container 210 is discharged via thethrough-hole 217. This may lead to an incomplete inflation of the pouch220 which is undesirable.

In the present embodiment, the pouch 220 is uniformly inflated in thereceiving space 216 so that the pouch 220 can be smoothly inflated.

In the above-mentioned present embodiment, each of the air holes 124 ofthe air pressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 sucks and discharges theair. However, in another embodiment, some air holes 124 of the pluralityof air holes 124 may be configured to suck the air whereas the other airholes 124 to discharge the liquid content.

When the filling space 226 is depressurized to the first referencedepressurizing pressure P_(NR1), the receiving space 216 isdepressurized to the second reference depressurizing pressure P_(NR2),and the liquid content are supplied from the other air holes 124, thepouch 220 can be expanded by supplying the liquid content at theatmospheric pressure or the pressure close to the atmospheric pressure.In another embodiment, the liquid content can be supplied at a pressureof the atmospheric pressure or more to have the pouch 220 expanded in awanted size.

Next, referring to FIG. 8, a blocking means 240 is installed in thethrough-hole 217 of the outer container 210 to keep the filling space226 in the expanded state once the filling space 226 of the pouch 220 isexpanded in a desired size.

The blocking means 240 employed for the container manufacturing methodaccording to the present embodiment can be an adhesive member such as asticker and suppresses the air from flowing into the through-hole 217.In another embodiment, the blocking means 240 can be a valve means suchas a check valve and selectively blocks the movement of air. When theblocking means 240 is the check valve, the blocking means 240 can beinstalled to the outer container 210 in preparing the container 2.

In the above-mentioned present embodiment, the airpressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 fills the air in the filling space226 of the pouch 220. In another embodiment, the airpressurizing/depressurizing unit 120 directly fills the liquid contentinto the filling space 226 of the pouch 220.

Hereinafter, a container manufacturing method according to an embodimentof the present disclosure will be described.

FIG. 9 is a flowchart illustrating the container manufacturing methodshown in FIGS. 4 to 7. FIG. 10 is a flowchart illustrating an expandingprocess of the pouch shown in the container manufacturing method in FIG.9.

Referring to FIGS. 9 and 10, a step S110 of preparing the container isperformed. The container 2 includes the outer container 210 and thepouch 220 coupled to the outer container 210. The filling space 226 ispositioned in the receiving space 216 of the outer container 210.

The step S110 of preparing the container includes gripping a first outercontainer and gripping a second outer container. In the step of grippingthe first outer container, the first gripping unit 130 grips theopposite side end portion 212 of the opening 215 side of the outercontainer 210. In the step of gripping the second outer container, theopening 215 of the outer container 210, that is, the neck portion 214 isgripped.

Then, the container manufacturing method includes a step S220 ofexpanding the pouch is performed. Air is supplied to the filling space226 of the pouch 220 and the filling space 226 of the pouch 220 isexpanded in the receiving space 216.

In the step S220 of expanding the pouch, when the pouch 220 is insertedinto the receiving space 216 of the outer container 210, a step S121 ofstretching the pouch is performed. The pouch 220 is elastically deformedtoward the opposite direction of the opening 215 of the outer container210.

Then, a step S122 of depressurizing the pouch is performed. The fillingspace 226 of the elastically deformed pouch 220 is depressurized to thefirst reference depressurizing pressure P_(NR1), which is equal to orsmaller than the atmospheric pressure, by the airpressurizing/depressurizing unit 120.

Then, a step S123 of depressurizing the outer container is performed.The receiving space 216 of the outer container 210 is depressurized tothe atmospheric pressure or less through the through-hole 217. Thethrough-hole 217 is formed on the outer container 210.

Then, a step S124 of pressurizing the pouch 220 is performed. Air isinjected into the pouch 220, which is elastically deformed in the stepS121 of stretching the pouch, to expand the filling space 226 of thepouch 220.

In the step S120 of expanding the pouch, air is supplied to the fillingspace 226 of the pouch 220 and the volume of the filling space 226increases in the receiving space 216. Air in the receiving space 216 isdischarged to the outside of the outer container 210 through thethrough-hole 217. The through-hole 217 is formed on the outer container210.

Then, a step S130 of keeping the pouch in an expanded state isperformed. When the filling space 226 of the pouch 220 is expanded, theblocking means 240 is installed in the through-hole 217 of the outercontainer 210 in order to keep the filling space 226 in the expandedstate.

In the step S130 of keeping the pouch in the expanded state, theinternal pressure of the filling space 226 of the pouch 220 is smallerthan the restoring force of the pouch. A force applied onto an innersurface of the pouch 220 by the internal pressure of the filling space226 of the pouch 220 and a force applied onto the outer surface of thepouch 220 by an internal pressure of the receiving space 216 between thepouch 220 and the outer container 210 is in equilibrium with therestoring force of the pouch 220.

Then, a step S140 of filling liquid is performed. Liquid-state contentis filled into the filling space 226 of the expanded pouch 220. Thecontent is filled into the filling space 226 of the pouch 220 at theatmospheric pressure and no additional pressure is applied.

According to the proposed embodiment, it is possible to fill liquidcontent into an elastic pouch in an outer container using the typicalfilling equipment.

The present disclosure is not limited to the above-mentionedembodiments. Various modifications can be made within the scope of theclaims in reference with the detailed description of the disclosure, andthe accompanying drawings.

INDUSTRIAL APPLICABILITY

The present disclosure relates to a container manufacturing method and acontainer manufacturing apparatus. It is possible to fill up liquid inthe container and discharge content to the last drop without leavingremainder.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method of manufacturing a container, whereinthe container comprises: an outer container and a pouch, wherein thepouch is made of an elastic material, coupled to the outer container,and having a filling space therein, wherein the method comprises: acontainer preparing step of placing the filling space of the pouchinside a receiving space of the outer container; and a pouch expandingstep of supplying air to the filling space of the pouch and expandingthe pouch toward the receiving space.
 2. The method of claim 1, whereinthe pouch expanding step comprises: a pouch stretching step ofelastically deforming the pouch towards an end portion of the outercontainer while the pouch is placed in the receiving space of the outercontainer, wherein the end portion of the outer container is locatedopposite to an opening of the outer container; and a pouch pressurizingstep of injecting air into the pouch, which is elastically deformed inthe pouch stretching step, and expanding the filling space of the pouch.3. The method of claim 2, wherein the pouch stretching step comprises:inserting an air pressurizing/depressurizing unit into the filling spaceof the pouch; and moving the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit fromthe opening of the container to the end portion of the container toelastically deform the pouch.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein thepouch expanding step further comprises: a pouch depressurizing step ofdepressurizing the filling space of the elastically deformed pouch to afirst reference depressurizing pressure using the airpressurizing/depressurizing unit, wherein the first referencedepressurizing pressure is equal to or less than the atmosphericpressure; and an outer container depressurizing step of depressurizingthe receiving space of the container to a second referencedepressurizing pressure through a through-hole formed on the container,wherein the second reference depressurizing pressure is equal to or lessthan the atmospheric pressure, wherein the pouch pressurizing stepcomprises: when a pressure of the receiving space of the outer containeris equal to or less than the second reference depressurizing pressure,supplying air to the filling space of the pouch at a pressure equal toor greater than the atmospheric pressure and expanding the filling spaceof the pouch.
 5. The method of claim 4, wherein, in the outer containerdepressurizing step, the receiving space of the outer containercommunicates with the outside of the receiving space only through thethrough-hole.
 6. The method of claim 2, wherein, in the pouchpressurizing step, a portion closer to the opening and a portion fartherfrom the opening are expanded simultaneously.
 7. The method of claim 1,wherein, in the pouch expanding step, air is supplied to the fillingspace of the pouch and the filling space expands into the receivingspace, air in the receiving space is discharged to the outside of theouter container through a through-hole, wherein the through-hole isformed on the outer container, wherein the container manufacturingmethod further comprises: a pouch-expanded-state-maintaining step ofblocking the through-hole of the outer container keeping the fillingspace in an expanded state, wherein, in thepouch-expanded-state-maintaining step, an internal pressure of thefilling space of the pouch is smaller than a restoring force of thepouch, and wherein a force applied onto an inner surface of the pouch bythe internal pressure of the filling space of the pouch and a forceapplied onto an outer surface of the pouch by a pressure of thereceiving space between the pouch and the outer container are inequilibrium with the restoring force of the pouch.
 8. The method ofclaim 1, further comprising: a liquid filling step of filling aliquid-state content into the filling space of the pouch in an expandedstate, wherein the liquid-state content are filled into the fillingspace of the pouch in the atmospheric pressure state without applying anadditional pressure to the liquid-state content.
 9. The method of claim1, wherein the container preparing step comprises: afirst-external-container-gripping step of gripping an end portion of theouter container opposite to an opening of the outer container; and asecond-external-container-gripping step of gripping the opening of theouter container.
 10. The method of claim 1, wherein the pouch expandingstep comprises: a pouch stretching step of elastically deforming thepouch towards an end portion of the outer container opposite to anopening of the outer container while the pouch is place inside thereceiving space of the outer container; and a pouch pressurizing step ofinjecting a liquid content into the pouch, which is elastically deformedin the pouch stretching step, and expanding the filling space of thepouch.
 11. A manufacturing apparatus of a container, wherein thecontainer comprises an outer container and a pouch, wherein the pouch ismade of an elastic material, is coupled to the outer container, andhaving a filling space formed therein, the apparatus comprising: an airpressurizing/depressurizing unit movable into and out of the fillingspace of the pouch; and air holes formed at an outer surface of the airpressurizing/depressurizing unit and injecting or exhausting air into orfrom the filling space, wherein the air pressurizing/depressurizing unitis movable from an opening of the pouch toward an end portion of thepouch in a sliding manner.
 12. The container manufacturing apparatus ofclaim 11, wherein the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit comprises: aunit body which is slidingly movable; and a head portion provided on theunit body, wherein the air holes are formed in the head portion, andwherein an end portion of the head portion is rounded.
 13. The containermanufacturing apparatus of claim 12, wherein the air holes are formed ona side surface of the head portion or the end portion of the headportion.
 14. The container manufacturing apparatus of claim 11, whereinthe outer container is provided with an opening, wherein a lockingportion of the pouch is coupled with the opening of the outer container,wherein the opening of the outer container communicates with a receivingspace of the outer container, and wherein the container manufacturingapparatus further comprises a first gripping unit which pressurizes theend of the outer container to allow the outer container gripped.
 15. Thecontainer manufacturing apparatus of claim 14, further comprising: astage unit, wherein the locking portion of the pouch, which is coupledto the opening of the outer container, is seated on the stage unit,wherein the air pressurizing/depressurizing unit is installed on thestage unit, wherein the stage unit moves downward by a predetermineddistance when the first gripping unit pressurizes the end of the outercontainer.
 16. The container manufacturing apparatus of claim 14,further comprising a second gripping unit, wherein the second grippingunit grips an end of the outer container in a direction perpendicular toa direction in which the first gripping unit grips the outer container.17. The container manufacturing apparatus of claim 14, wherein athrough-hole is formed on the end of the outer container andcommunicates with the receiving space, and wherein the first grippingunit comprises: a first gripping unit body; a suction passage formed onthe first gripping unit body and communicating with the through-hole;and an elastic gripping portion contacting the end of the outercontainer while the through-hole of the outer container is in contactwith the suction passage.
 18. A container manufactured by the containermanufacturing method of claim 1, further comprising: a coupling unit,wherein the coupling unit is fitted into an opening of the pouch whenthe outer container and the pouch are coupled to each other, wherein thecoupling unit includes a through space, wherein the through spaceconnects the filling space of the pouch to an outside, and wherein thecoupling unit pressurizes a part of the pouch to an internal wall of anopening of the outer container.